South Korea’s president visits China to improve bilateral relations

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing today to improve relations between the two countries. China is South Korea’s largest trading partner, but ties have faced challenges in recent years due to security and political issues. As a close U.S. ally, South Korea is now seeking to balance its security relationship with Washington and its economic ties with China, according to the BBC.

The two leaders are expected to discuss economic cooperation, regional security issues in East Asia and restrictions affecting South Korean cultural exports to China. Lee said the visit aims to rebuild and strengthen relations after years of tension.

The talks are taking place amid heightened regional uncertainty, including ongoing disputes over Taiwan and growing tensions between China and Japan, which has said it could respond militarily if Beijing attacks the de facto independent island.

North Korea is also expected to be a key topic, as Lee wants Beijing to use its influence over Pyongyang to address concerns surrounding its nuclear program. At the same time, Beijing is seeking to persuade Seoul to side with it in its political confrontation with Japan, even though South Korea and China are not formal allies. To that end, China has sought to leverage the shared history of resistance against Japanese militarism in the late 1930s and 1940s.